Technical Field
Embodiments generally relate to data transfer. More particularly, embodiments relate to securely transferring data from a flash component.
Discussion
In some instances, a computer component may need to retrieve data from a memory device prior to operation. For example, some embedded controller (EC) manufacturers may store EC operating instructions on a separate flash component, wherein the EC may “pull” the operating instructions from the flash component by assuming the role of “master” (with full read/write access). FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example an EC chip in the prior art that may pull information from a flash component.
Allowing an EC direct access to a flash component, however, may lead to security risks. For example, these risks may include the execution of malware or spyware masquerading as a bona fide EC, data replacement and/or tampering, and privacy breaches. In addition, in certain cases, the EC may be a customizable component including on-chip firmware. In these cases, costs of doing a thorough security analysis with regard to each unique EC configuration may be quite high.